Face-mask



D. DE ROSIER.

FACE MASK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9. 1919.

1 342,897. v Patented June 8, 1920.

Fqzzzl Med PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID DE ROSIER, OF BRADDOCK, PENNSYLVANIA.

V FACE-MASK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed December 9, 1919. Serial No. 343,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID DE RosInR, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Braddock, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Face- Masks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in face masks for protecting the face of the wearer from excessive heat, for the use of furnacemen, founders, mill workers, or others,

. whose employment is in close proximity to heat of high temperatures.

In order to utilize the heat-arresting quality of a partly open screen, as wire netting, it is necessary to provide ample opportunity for free circulation of cooler air to all rear parts of the mask to counteract the efiect of the heat at the dividing line of the mask itself. This is because a mask, of wire netting or the like, is not a good barrier to the passage of heated air unless its progress through the mask is counteracted by an opposing body of relatively cold air, free to circulate laterally of the mask and to be continuously renewed by fresh air as it becomes heated.

While a wire netting mask may be used for face protection, and will operate to arrest heated air to a degree by providing a percolable barrier, the inner air, if confined, will in time become heated to substantially the same temperature as the outer hot air, rendering the mask under such conditions ineffective.

In my invention, I have provided means for establishing a constant fresh air circulation to all the rear portions of the mask, whereby to always maintain this desirable condition, while also providing a very simple, highly eflicient, durable and inexpensive mask for the purpose intended.v

In the drawings, which show certain preferred constructions,

Figure 1 is a face view of the mask in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation showing the device as applied and used;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the complete device;

Fig. 4: is a cross sectional view on the line IV--IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line VV of Fig. l, but showing a modified construction utilizing a double shield with an intervening air space;

Fig. 6 1s a cross sectional view on the line VIVI of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view partly broken away, showing the connecting terminals of the securing band.

Referring to the principal figures of the drawings, the protecting portion of the masks consist of a web a of suitable perforate material, as wire netting, or the like, with an upper supplemental similar portion 6. These shield portions a and b are rounded to conform generally to the contour of the face of the wearer in horizontal section, but are generally straight in vertical section, as shown, and are maintained 1n position by a surrounding securing border or band 2 of thin sheet metal extending entirely around both shield members.

Band 2 may be conveniently formed of a U-shaped section, as indicated in Fig. 4, with connecting rivets at intervals, or by soldering or in any other suitable manner. A reinforcing intervening transverse connecting member 3 may be used if desired, whereby to fixedly hold the parts in desired position and for purposes of attachment to the main holding band at. The shield as thus made is connected to band 4 by its terminal edges as at c and by any suitable intervening spacing connections 5 adapted to maintain it fixedly in operative relation to the band, with an intervening annular space 6, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

Band 4: extends entirely around the inner portion of the shield, and its terminals are brought together at the back and overlap, as indicated in Fig. 7, one terminal being provided with a longitudinal slot 7 adapted to slidingly engage a holding bolt 8. Bolt 8 is secured to the other terminal, as shown, and is provided with a tightening thumb nut 9, whereby the band may be tightened around the head of the wearer and secured in position, in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

As thus applied, the band being preferably put on outside of the hat or cap of the wearer, the shield members a-b of wire netting, etc., is thus fixedly located outwardly beyond the face of the wearer, and by reason of the spacing connections 5, is spaced away therefrom sufficiently far to provide inner sideof the mask.

ample intervening circulationspace for cool air from below and at the rear of the mask, and between the mask and the face or the wearer.

By this construction, the entire face and neck, and also the upper portion of the head of the wearer, are protected; the vision of the user is not interfered with and is continuously unimpeded from one side to the other and the passage of heatedair through the mask is efliciently prevented, due to the free access of cooler air to the reverse or In Figs. 5 andG I show a modified construction in which a supplemental shield -main rear cool air cavity, and providing for an additional upward circulation of cool air between the front and back shields. It will be understood that the shields may be spaced apart any suliicient or desired distance, to secure the foregoing results, and that the mask as a whole may be made in any suitable sizes, proportions, or variations in design. Thus, the upper shield b may be either lengthened or shortened with relation to its distance above the main holding band 4, or, if desired, the upper shield may be entirely eliminated. Likewise, the lower shield may be extended farther down below the face or shortened, as desired, and may also be extended more or less rearwardly than asshown, depending upon the conditions as to temperature, closeness to the work, etc, but all such changes are to be considered as within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A protecting shield consisting of a continuous vertical semi-cylindrical open back sheet of suitable perforate material adapted.

to extend around the face of the wearer and to provide for both front and lateral visibility, and an annular holding band fixedly secured thereto at intervals by intervening outwardly spacing connections adapted to hold the shield beyond the band with intervenin 2.

hold the shield beyond the band with intervening air circulation space and means for lengthening or. shortening the band and for securing it in position on the head of the wearer.

3.. A protecting mask of the class described consisting of an annular securing band having means for fitting and holding it upon the head of the wearer, a vertically disposed laterallycurved shield member secured to the band by intervening connecting means providing circulation space between the band and the shield, and a supplemental shield similarly secured outwardly beyond said first-named shield.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

DAVID DE ROSIER. 

